


Satisfaction Brought It Back

by teiidae



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M, Rare Pairings, Romantic Fluff, bro you better stop being cute before i kiss you full on the lips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 14:45:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21272912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teiidae/pseuds/teiidae
Summary: You know what they always say, right? Terra doesn't. Terra's never really been that great with words, but that doesn't stop the seeping feeling of curiosity that arrived seemingly overnight. You know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat.





	Satisfaction Brought It Back

Terra found himself stuck in a state of wanderlust. There wasn’t anything that had really triggered it specifically, just a growing restlessness that training could not seem to quench no matter how many hours he spent in the sun. He’d nearly run himself into the ground on a number of occasions, much to Aqua’s dismay, and even then, he’d still wander internal mazes of questions and speculation about what, if anything, was out there in the worlds.

Curiosity for curiosity’s sake was frowned upon. Master Eraqus had made it explicitly clear that the only result in constant wondering about other worlds was falling into the intricate trappings of Darkness, something that Terra worked tirelessly to avoid. He was a Keyblade wielder after all, and he had to be a pillar of Light. That  _ was _ his purpose, and he figured that he did just well enough at it all things considering. Curiosity for curiosity’s sake was a dangerous lure, but, what if he had a specific thing he could learn?

It had come to him in a dream. Well, sort of. It was another restless night of circular thinking. If he had something to explore, he wouldn’t fall into the Darkness. What if there was a way to strengthen the Light by…

He’d fallen asleep before he could think of anything. And the next morning, Terra found himself up at the crack of dawn as usual. He spent a few minutes sitting in bed, gazing out of the window to the paleing sky as each of the stars twinkled away in the rising sun. He jumped out of bed, stretched each of his limbs until a limbering dantiness returned to them, and he laid on the floor, taking deep breaths as he absentmindedly went through his routine.

Pushups, stretching, sit-ups, stretching, lunges, more stretching. This was not getting him in the mood to train in the courtyard. He was thinking!

He showered, leaning against the tiled wall with one hand lathering shampoo in his hair and the other pinching the bridge of his nose. He was certain that he’d almost had an epiphany last night. Right before he rolled onto his favorite side of the bed and passed right the hell out, he had hatched an idea. Something about Light and Darkness and curiosity.

Dressed, fed, watered, and out the door to go hone his form in the courtyard. Master Eraqus had glanced at him in that peculiar way from across the breakfast table, but Terra hadn’t noticed. He was thinking about a saying he remembered Aqua mentioning once before. He only really remembered that it had to do with curiosity and cats, and he hoped that Aqua had training on the brain as well so he could maybe ask her about it. Preferably without Master Eraqus looming over them.

It was either luck or fate. Same difference to the obtuse, honestly.

Terra was already working up a sweat. His body was on fire as he honed and re-honed his skills. He was built for power and strength, that much he knew. To fly across the battlefield with the neck of victory in hand and the iron fist of justice in the other was admirable. A bull rushing through with the stamina and cantankerous honesty to back up his size was exhilarating in a way Terra couldn’t describe with fancy words.

It was ingrained in the way he held his arms in position, the way his legs were sturdy under him, and the way his thick brows furrowed in concentration befitting the intelligence of a much wiser being. It was natural. Comfortable. Him.

Aqua, on the other hand, was much more graceful and quiet. Stunningly observant with the wit to match. Her specialization in magic made her training much more intense in a different way. While she could handle a blade on her own, weaving into and out of different fighting styles, her strength lay within her expertly controlled magical focus, and required different types of targets to sharpen her skillset. These days it felt like Terra and Aqua didn’t see much of each other in a more combat focused arena. They were either crossing paths, or sharing information over carbs and protein. Aqua would excitedly explain a new form of magic with intricate hand gestures and flying crumbs, and Terra would only listen to her and nod his head when it felt appropriate because magic wasn’t his thing.

And when he would rattle off repetitions and battle positions and forms and tactics, Aqua would follow him well enough but she wouldn’t understand it in the way he did. It was rather lonely sometimes. He wanted to spar with her. He’d understand her magic if he could combat against it, even if Master Eraqus thought it was a bad idea.

_ Magic dangerous. _

But today was different. Today, under the deep shadows of the castle and the shifting sun of The Land of Departure, Terra and Aqua found themselves in the same courtyard with the same intentions: training.

“Ah, look who finally decided to come out of her ivory tower,” Terra said, dismissing Earthshaker in a flash of crumbly light. “I thought I was only ever gonna see you across a table.”

Aqua smiled only after rolling her eyes. “You think I like being cooped up learning magical theories? Master Eraqus says I have to master the theory before putting it into practice.”

“Did you come to try them out?” Terra asked a bit too eagerly. He was like an excited puppy being promised some play time.

Aqua’s cheeks, normally fair, turned a bright red and she averted her gaze. “N-no. What would give you that idea? I’m not supposed to be using magic against you anyway. It’s too dangerous.”

Terra slid up to her side, his posture taking on the demeanor of a wounded secret admirer. “Oh, Lady Aqua, how could I prove to you that I am as fit a knight as any other if you won’t let me prove myself capable? I am hurt! I only wish to prove myself.”

Aqua’s cheeks burned brighter. She hated it when Terra got this way. It was almost impossible to say no. Not when he was acting so silly. It was charming and she fell for it all the time. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes, she supposed.

“What do you want?” she said finally, pushing Terra away as he pretended to fall on her like a damsel in distress. He milked it for a bit, feigning innocence and obliviousness. Only to prove himself to his Queen obviously.

“Oh, nothing.”

Aqua narrowed her eyes. “Oh, really? And what if her Majesty decided to go back to her ‘ivory tower’? What then?”

Terra immediately sobered up. “Aww, come on. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just we never see each other these days. I miss you is all. I’m sorry.”

Aqua sighed. “Master Eraqus says it won’t be like that forever. Just until I’m better at it. Just until it’s safer to play elsewhere, you know? I think I can handle it, obviously, but he knows better.”

Terra nodded. “Yes. Very wise of him.”

“So,” Aqua continued, much less suspicious. “What do you want? Really. You’ve been restless.”

“Noticed, huh?” Terra ruffled his hair. It was still a little slick with sweat and stood up at an odd angle. “I was just thinking about something you said a while ago. Something about cats.”

Aqua scrunched her face up in concentration as she stretched. Something about cats. Terra was never really all that good with words, but that was alright. After a few sessions of sparring, they were both exhausted. Terra had a neat new scar on his bicep from some rogue magical spears of ice, and Aqua had apologized a thousand times as she healed his wounds.

It was no big deal.

_ Curiosity killed the cat. _

\---

The first day went by relatively easily. Just a quick pop away and a quick pop back. Terra hadn’t spoken to anyone, had stayed mostly out of sight, and observed to the best of his ability, all the while trying to calm the hammering in his chest.

Radiant Garden was what they called this place. He wasn’t supposed to be here, but here he was, taking in all the sights and sounds for as long as he could stomach it. It was the first time on a new world, the first time away from home, and the first time sneaking out.

It wasn’t cowardly to get cold feet, he’d tell himself that night as he desperately tried to fall asleep. Master Eraqus was none the wiser.

\---

The second attempt went a lot smoother than the first. Terra had had to wait quite a while before he slunk off into the night again. Master Eraqus might not have noticed that he disappeared that night, but Aqua sure as hell did and was either unsure of how to approach him about it, or was waiting to see if anything came of it.

Terra figured that Aqua was the more rational of the two of them anyway. She was much more empathetic and wasn’t too keen on all the restrictions either. So if it was an act of mercy, Terra was incredibly appreciative that she was on his side for the time being. Perhaps it was calling it even after she cut his arm that one time. Not that he was going to hold that against her. He wouldn’t do that.

He had waited until the cover of night again. This time, he was more prepared for what lay ahead. The trip between the worlds was shorter, the panic was less, and with that confidence, Terra made it to Radiant Garden in no time at all. He’d had some foresight this time. The first time, he’d been dressed as normal. Wide legged pants, straps and skintight sweat-wicking under armour, shoulder plate. He looked like he didn’t belong.

Not this time. This time, he had the bright idea of going in the same clothes he slept in. A simple shirt, simple shorts. The ride over had been uncomfortable and rubbed some parts of his arms and legs a bit raw, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. If anyone asked, he’d...probably tell the truth, but that was a problem for Future Terra.

Present Terra peeled off the shoulder plate and stowed it in a bag, pulling out a long robe to wrap it up in so it wouldn’t bang around so loudly. Radiant Garden was in the middle of their day, and it was pleasantly warm in the areas where the sun shone, heating the knapped stonework and glittering off the water in the fountains.

This time around, he looked a little more the part of a Radiant Garden resident. Well, he was still pretty tall and looked at things like he’d never seen a castle or a water fountain before, but everything was so new and exciting and even though he had that pounding in his chest still, he was a lot more at home exploring.

He tried some food from the food stalls and experienced a sort of queasiness that racked his whole body with tremors and gave him an uncomfortable green-around-the-gills look that made other people give him plenty of space. As they should have. He tottered around like a lost child for a little while longer until his constitution gave out and he had to duck out of sight.

He had no way to clean up after himself, so he braved the chafing metal of his armor, and had to deal with the unfortunate aroma of sick and regret that wafted around him during his travel. The next morning, he tried desperately to hold anything in, but couldn’t stand to be awake for more than a few hours and anything he consumed didn’t stick around for long. Master Eraqus and Aqua were equally alarmed, and Terra spent a couple of days in bed, drinking water and dry heaving.

Okay, no more food from Radiant Garden.

\---

It was a long time before he could sneak out again. It felt like months before Terra felt brave enough to disappear into the lanes between worlds and reappear on the other side, but those months had given him plenty of time to plan to the best of his ability. The robe bit worked out just fine, but what he had a second one to wear? What if he looked even more like he belonged and brought his own food so he didn’t experience whatever that was again? Poison? Sickness? He had no idea.

This time, Terra prepared ahead of time. Even though some of the snacks he’d collected made his training more arduous, it was worth it in his eyes. Nobody suspected a thing, and there was an element of elation that went hand in hand with his desire to explore. So far, it seemed that Master Eraqus’s warnings were ill-informed. You only had to watch out for the food, which was poison and bad.

The people were friendly. The world was charming, and so full of life and relationships and things to do and experience. And those were only the things he had seen on his two previous trips. Imagine what more lay beyond his field of view. Imagine what happened while the sun was going down.

He had to know. Well, maybe actually go and try to interact a bit more instead of wandering around like a fool with no sense of understanding or purpose. He understood plenty. Plenty enough to think that maybe Master Eraqus was wrong in his assumptions. No dark trappings here. Just bad food, which wasn’t a crime. Well, Terra didn’t think it was a crime.

When he reappeared in Radiant Garden, he had just barely finished changing his clothes before he heard movement behind him. Danger? He spun around, though it took an extraordinary amount of willpower to not summon Earthshaker. No, it was just a rat. It scampered off, squeaking and playing through the alleyway.

“Phew, close one.”

Terra straightened up, not even thinking about it. “It was just a...rat.”

Wait a second. Rats didn’t talk, and, also, he wasn’t even initially talking to another person. Terra blinked once. Twice. Three times. And then started. His range of emotion must have spooked the other person because, immediately, there was a shuffling sound and a man with brown hair and knowing eyes came from around the corner, hands up. He was in uniform, it seemed. Blue and white. Striking red scarf.

“Whoa, whoa, hold up there, Alabaster, no need to tear the earth apart,” the man said. “I’m just teasin’.”

Terra froze, halfway between a deer and a tiger. Obviously he wasn’t supposed to be attacking anybody, but this man had snuck up on him and if he had seen the moving through worlds thing, then there was going to be a problem. Master Eraqus was going to eat him alive. Terra began to sweat. He should have known better.

“Hey, man, I ain’t here to grief ya’. Call me Braig.” The man stuck one of his hands out for a handshake and Terra looked at it stupidly. What was he supposed to do with that? Braig chuckled and lowered his arms. “Geez, tough crowd today.”

“I’m, uh, I should go,” Terra said briskly.

“Whoa, what’s the rush? You just got here,” Braig replied in earnest. “Honest, I wasn’t trying to be funny. Just, you know, I don’t see you around that often is all. Thought I’d never see you again to be honest. Thought you might be new around here. It happens. Or you were a ghost. Those happen too.”

Terra’s heart began to bounce around in his chest, though he still remained stock still before offering a hasty bow. “Really, I’m sorry to trouble you. I must go.”

Without waiting for a response, Terra pushed passed Braig and hurried off, not looking back. He had to get back home before he exploded. Or Master Eraqus exploded. Or both.

“Nah man,” Braig said anyway, giving Terra more room to flee. “No...problem.” He paused and fixed his uniform and scarf. “Just doing my job. Blah blah blah. They never stick around.”

\---

Terra couldn’t get Radiant Garden out of his head. It was too risky to go again so soon, but he found himself sort of missing it. Braig had surprised him, but he didn’t seem particularly dangerous at first glance. Just a guard - probably from the castle - doing his duty to make sure no funny business was taking place while he was on duty. And it didn’t take a genius to know that Terra was the definition of funny business.

Though he wasn’t supposed to be traveling. Other worlds weren’t supposed to know of each other. Only Keyblade wielders were allowed to know. At least, that’s what it seemed to be for now.

Terra covered his face with the cool side of his pillow, groaning into it. It was too soon to disappear again. Aqua had been looking at him with that look she always gave when she knew he was up to something, and even though he had tried to pass it off, he had lost focus during his training with her. He never lost focus during his training with her! He didn’t even know how to dance, and yet he sure as hell had been twirling away from Aqua’s always staring eyes like a world class ballerina.

She definitely knew he was up to something.

Master Eraqus also probably knew as well.

Why hadn’t he said anything yet?

Was he just waiting to catch him in the act?

Terra began to sweat again, and he flipped the pillow over onto the other cool side. He was reading too much into this. His heart kept bobbing into his throat in an attempt to take over his adam’s apple’s job, and, honestly, he was tired of it.

One cute guard, and suddenly he didn’t know how to act.

And therein was the problem.

One cute guard.

Terra flipped his pillow over again, but his face still burned and this made for one restless night.

\---

“I’m starting to worry about you.”

Terra was sitting in the shade of a large and ancient looking tree, dabbing his forehead. It was the end of the day, and the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, but the heat was still relentless. Terra had been absorbed in his training as usual, forgoing another ration in favor of burning out at the end of the day.

He was certain he had enough food to go on a more involved adventure. The days worked differently in Radiant Garden anyway, so he could easily go for a while and make it back without losing too much sleep. And, besides, if he took one day off, it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world.

“What, only now?” Terra asked in mock incredulousness. “For sure, I thought the first time I tried using magic would have been the thing to set you off.”

Aqua’s frown knocked the wind right out of Terra’s sails and he deflated a bit. Oh boy, he was in trouble. Big time. He shifted over a little on the stone bench he had been occupying to make room for her to sit. And while it did take a few moments for her to do so, she took a seat next to him and looked pointedly at the ground, where an oval of barren dirt was beginning to form under their feet.

“You have to stop sneaking off,” Aqua muttered. “I didn’t want to say anything because Master Eraqus says that everybody eventually has needs, but you’re going to get hurt. And I don’t want that for you.”

Terra did not look at her. Busted…

“And I guess I can’t really tell you what to do, but you know I care about you, right?” Aqua continued, still looking at her feet. Her eyes were watering and it wasn’t a big deal, but she didn’t want to linger on it too much. “I just want to follow the Master’s teachings to the best of my ability, and I want to become a Master myself I think. I think we both want that?”

Terra felt the color draining from his face. “Aqua, I’m not going to get hurt.” He didn’t know that and he knew he didn’t know that but it felt nice to say.

“Do you think Master Eraqus is wrong about what’s out there?” Aqua asked.

Terra’s first instinct was to say no. Hell, his first instinct was to profess Master Eraqus as the end-all-be-all when it came to that knowledge, but he suppressed it. Mainly because he wasn’t totally sure that was true anymore.

“I think he might be just a little bit,” Terra whispered. “Yeah, I did go between worlds, but Aqua, you don’t understand what there is on the other side. A whole society filled with people who are so alive looking. And blue stonework and food that tastes pretty good but I couldn’t stomach it for long. And--”

“I think that’s enough,” Aqua said. “You already know what I’m going to ask, right?”

Terra took a deep breath. “No.”

“Please don’t leave anymore.”

Terra couldn’t promise that, so he fell silent, and he waited for Aqua to get tired of sitting there waiting for him to lie to her. Her eyes were still watery, and Terra wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know many good words, or how to arrange them in a way that made sense and would console rather than...whatever the alternative was. Break her trust in him?

He reasoned that if the two of them were training to be guardians of the very worlds that were off limits, how were they supposed to relate to them if disaster struck? How would they be able to do their duties if they didn’t truly understand what was out there?

That night, Terra stayed in bed with his thoughts.

He did this for several nights.

As the weeks passed, Terra grew more and more stilted and curious. That same wanderlust plagued him and he found himself daydreaming about what sorts of things he could see and learn if he just explored for a little bit longer. Despite the food going bad, he had kept his rations just in case he decided to try again.

Well, at least until the smell got too repugnant to stand any longer. And while he hadn’t resupplied his stock, he did still envision himself traveling back to Radiant Garden to be a good boy of course. No funny business or Braig would show up and put him in jail. Or whatever it was they did with “criminals” in Radiant Garden.

Aqua also seemed to have calmed down a bit. She never mentioned her teary request, and Master Eraqus also seemed to not be up in arms. Aqua really  _ was _ on Terra’s side after all and he felt a bit bad for thinking about lying to her. He’d talk to her later about it when he had the words to do so.

But, that did not stop him from sinking into the pits of curiosity again. It had snuck up on him.  _ Curiosity killed the cat.  _ But Terra was certain that there wasn’t a foe who could do such harm to him. He had been training for years on end to hone that aspect of himself. And he wouldn’t think of himself as a killing machine, he was competent enough to not get overwhelmed by normal people with normal means of harming others.

There weren’t many foes who could.

And that was a bit alienating.

\---

Terra arrived in Radiant Garden on a chilly fall day. Unlike last time, Braig hadn’t popped out of the woodwork to greet him. He was alone for long enough to hide his armor and slip into a robe. This time, he was going to enjoy himself. He’d acquired a few snacks for the trip, and stepped out of the nippy shadows and into the sun.

Thankfully, it was warmer in the sun, but there was a little bite of a season Terra had no name for. The air smelled warm as well, like baked pies and cinnamon. Next time he’d have to bring something thicker, but this was good enough for now. Through trial and error (mostly error), he’d been directed to where the castle entrance was.

There was something intimidating about the place, and the entrance was closely guarded by two burly men of incredible size, with eyes that shot lasers into Terra’s soul. Something so so odd about them, but they didn’t bother him and he didn’t bother them.

“Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

Terra repressed a small smile, though his cheeks did darken a little. Braig was standing at the entrance and making his way down the walkway. He was clad in a much thicker uniform coat and less dexterous gloves, but that signature red scarf was still the same. It flapped easily in the gentle breeze.

“How did you?” Terra’s voice trailed off. He didn’t really want to know.

“I have my ways,” Braig replied with a wink. “Thought I’d never see you again, big guy. Walk with me.”

Before Terra could respond, Braig hooked his arm with Terra’s and made a few gestures with his other hand to the two men standing at the gate. Terra looked back, and Braig prompted him to stop with a soft grunt.

“Yeah, just let them do their thing. They might tackle you otherwise. You’re with me,” Braig added quickly. “No need to worry about them, yeah?”

Terra seemed unsure. “Yes?”

Braig swung around a corner and Terra went with him without complaint. He really did think Braig was kind of cute. He liked how his nose was perfectly center in his face, and he had stray eyebrow hairs that he found endearing. Braig didn’t seem to notice. Or he did and he was just clocking Terra as a weirdo or something.

“So, you gonna tell me your name this time, or do I have to guess?” Braig asked, still pulling Terra along.

“Uh, Terra, I guess.” Terra paused. “Yes, Terra.”

“Well, Terra,” Braig replied. “Planning on running off any time soon?”

“No?”

“Don’t sound so sure, big guy.”

Terra was nervous all of a sudden. Wrapped up in a robe that didn’t belong to him in a world that he was not native to, with a man he thought was kind of cute but was probably going to arrest him or something else equally antagonizing. His palms grew clammy, and he had to pay special attention to keep breathing or he’d pass out probably. Yes, breathing. So long as he continued to do that, he’d be fine.

“You wanna tell me what’s bothering ya?” Braig cautioned. “It can be our secret.”

“Secret,” Terra snorted despite himself. “You’re cute.”

He hadn’t meant to say that.

Braig’s cheeks turned a bit pink and Terra could see that pink dusting creep over that nose and overwhelm the faint freckles that were sparse and pleasant to look at. Braig had a look of confusion, followed by a mix of emotions that Terra couldn’t recognize. He could, however, swear that he had seen something resembling a sparkle of reciprocation in those wondrous brown eyes.

“This is the part where you run off now, right?” Braig asked hesitantly. “Before I show you something cool that definitely won’t get me in trouble.”

Terra was immediately disarmed. “Why are you being nice to me? I’m a stranger here.”

Braig shrugged. “Guess it’s because you’re cute. And you walk around like a lost puppy gawking at things like vegetable stalls and brick walls. It’s charming, what can I say.”

Now it was Terra’s turn to blush, but his skin just grew a deeper brown and Braig waggled his eyebrows, pushing a few more strands of hair out of place. Terra had to resist the urge to reach out and smooth them out. It had never occurred to him that he might be crossing boundaries, or maybe even wanting to do that in the first place was kind of strange. He had never wanted to smooth Aqua’s eyebrows before and he liked her a whole lot.

Braig’s pulling subsided and it took Terra a few moments to realize that. His arm hung out a bit where there had previously been a much thinner arm linked and when Braig was a few steps ahead of him, Terra finally put his arm down awkwardly at his side. Braig raised an eyebrow and postured himself around like an entertainer, pretending to flap coattails and reach for a curtain. Terra imagined that it would probably be red, just like Braig’s scarf.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, please, behold.”

Braig drew the false curtain and a light door began to swing out, opening into a beautifully crafted courtyard. It was lined by enormous columns of stone stationed in deep pools of water that rippled as the fountains bubbled quietly. There were carved paths, rigid and straight and meticulous in a way Terra could not point out as odd that were filled with perfectly trimmed hedges and bundles of flowers that swayed in the stiff breeze. Beyond the courtyard lay the castle that Braig must have protected.

It towered over everything else with a critical eye that went unacknowledged. Terra wished he had a dozen more eyes so he could take everything in. Braig only cleared his throat when Terra had had enough time to really appreciate it.

“Nice, right?” Braig asked, head cocked. “Nobody from the city is allowed back here.” He paused thoughtfully, waiting for Terra to pick up on the subtleties. “But you’re not from the city, are you? So you’re allowed. Just this one time.”

Terra took a few steps forward, drinking in the sterile beauty this place had. So rectangular. Everything was so rectangular and clean and linear and  _ odd _ .

He didn’t belong here.

Braig, strangely enough, noticed immediately and linked his arm with Terra’s again. “Didn’t mean to overwhelm ya, big guy. Maybe it’s too much for a tourist’s first time.”

Terra shook his head. “It’s not that. I...I can’t explain it to you. It’s just. It’s weird. I can’t explain it.”

“Bummer.” Braig frowned. “Terra, was it? Where are you from?”

Terra blinked. He could not answer that. “I should probably go before I get you in trouble.”

“So soon?” Braig unlinked his arm again. “Feels like you just got here...”

Terra didn’t reply. He really couldn’t. He wasn’t supposed to be here. “Sorry.”

Braig’s lip trembled a bit in thought. “Oh! I got a great idea, Terra. You seem like the sentimental type, not that that’s a  _ bad _ thing. Here, just. Take this.”

He reached around his neck and tugged the red scarf loose. It flapped in the breeze gently, curling around itself. Terra looked at it, blinking in confusion. Yes, he was the sentimental type, but this felt strange. His stomach churned and butterflies hatched from their long dormant cocoons. His voice cracked a little.

“You sure?”

Braig grinned. “I got a million of them.”

“That’s a lot,” Terra whispered.

“It’s a figure of speech, man, no need to take everything I say so literally.”

Terra flushed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know figures of speech. Actually. Maybe you can tell me something before I go?”

“Goodbyes are harder the longer you take, big guy, but I guess I could impart some ancient Radiant Garden wisdom on you. Lay it on me.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Terra whispered. “Mean anything?”

Braig dug in his ear a little bit. “Uh, yeah I heard it before.”

“Anything more to it?”

Braig snickered behind his scarf. Goodness, it was like he was a teenager again, getting a crush on a random person he didn’t even know all that well. Silly man. “Yeah, I guess you’d say there is.”

\---

Aqua was worried about Terra in much the same way she worried about a brother. Terra was so hot headed, but his will was strong, and while Terra had seemed a bit off kilter after she had asked him not to leave to see other worlds again, he seemed to be adjusting rather well. He was back to his usual routine and was feeling a lot better about the restrictions that Master Eraqus had placed on them. Didn’t complain about them one bit.

And hadn’t left again, so something must have changed.

She didn’t want to tell Master Eraqus about Terra’s antics. She didn’t like seeing the light in his eyes darken briefly before being concealed. She didn’t think that Master Eraqus could tell, but Aqua was fairly perceptive herself.

Terra was training again, eating his normal workout rations, and seemed to have taught himself a few new techniques, paired with a series of delicate bruises along his neck and shoulders. Aqua had offered to heal them off, but Terra had made fun of her for being such a worrywart all the time. He’d just thrown Earthshaker too hard and missed its return while adjusting some aspect of his form. Caught himself off guard with the whip of the keychain, which wasn’t unusual when trying to perfect a newly thought of technique.

Aqua had left him to his own devices after that, still worried, but significantly less so now that he was back to throwing himself at trees in order to become a better warrior. All was well and back in line again and that relieved her.

_ Curiosity killed the cat _ , she thought ruefully.

_ But satisfaction brought it back. _

**Author's Note:**

> did a neat fic-art trade with my buddy, cake.


End file.
